Category — Art

Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) Players and TNCC’s Department of Performing Arts announce open auditions for the fall production of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” Auditions will take place August 30-31 at 7 p.m. at the Dr. Mary T. Christian Auditorium in Templin Hall on the College’s Hampton campus.

During the audition, actors will perform 16 bars of music and may be asked to do an additional 16 bars in a contrasting style. Participants must bring sheet music in the appropriate key as an accompanist will be provided. Auditions will also include cold readings from the script. Those auditioning should dress comfortably and expect to participate in stage movement or dance exercises. Callbacks will be held Wednesday, September 1.

For more information, please call 825-2779 or email mtca@tncc.edu

The musical production will run Nov. 12 -14 and Nov. 19-21 at  TNCC’s Dr. Mary T. Christian Auditorium. Show times are 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. on Sundays.

About the show
“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” takes comedy back to its roots, combining situations from time-tested, 2,000-year-old comedies of Roman playwright Plautus with the infectious energy of classic vaudeville. The result is a non-stop laugh-fest in which a crafty slave (Pseudolus) struggles to win the hand of a beautiful but slow-witted courtesan (Philia) for his young master (Hero), in exchange for freedom.

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Having graduated from Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) on May 15, Najoua Benothmane leaves a piece of herself with the College. The Liberal Arts student is donating one of her original paintings, a depiction of a courtyard on the Hampton campus, to be displayed in the College’s library. A tribute to the diversity at TNCC, the acrylic and oil work was created as part of a class assignment in 2005. “I decided to donate this painting to TNCC to show my gratitude for the College and its wonderful faculty and staff [who were] always there when needed,” Benothmane said.

Benothmane is a native of Tunisia and moved to the United States from France in 1991. Her various cultural experiences contributed to her appreciation of TNCC’s diverse student body, faculty and staff. She created the work in a courtyard behind Moore Hall on the Hampton campus and transferred the serene feeling of the area to the canvas with a portrait of a bench surrounded by trees filled with vibrant-colored leaves. “The trees symbolize the many departments on the campus and the leaves [are] the students. The different colors of leaves represent diversity and harmony on campus,” she said.

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The Hampton Roads Civic Ballet will present its spring performance at Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) on Saturday, May 1 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 2 at 3 p.m. at the Dr. Mary T. Christian Auditorium, Templin Hall on the Hampton campus.

The Hampton Roads Civic Ballet, which holds residency at TNCC’s auditorium, was founded in 1948 and provides a pre-professional performing experience for intermediate and advanced students at the Academy of Ballet in Hampton. The nonprofit organization combines classical ballet and contemporary choreography to provide students with a versatile dance experience while teaching them to appreciate set design, costume creation and more. The students present two productions annually in addition to community performances at local festivals, schools, hospitals and nursing homes.
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The Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) Computer Arts Department will welcome Emmy Award-winning graphic design artist Mike Goedecke for the Motion Graphics Design Symposium on May 5 and 6. The event will include a public lecture, one-on-one portfolio critiques for TNCC students and more.

Goedecke’s portfolio includes promotions for the launch of Jay Leno’s “The Tonight Show” and “Embryo,” an award-winning short film. His high-profile client list includes ABC, Activision, Chevron and The Discovery Channel. “The event is important because it gives not only our students, but the public, a chance to interact with a nationally recognized and awarded filmmaker and motion graphics designer,” said Cece Wheeler, Professor of Art and Computer Arts Department Head.

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Join TNCC’s Cultural Affairs Committee and the MTCA Performing Arts Series for a Multi-Cultural Festival in celebration of Diversity Month. Featuring three free shows, the festival begins Thursday, April 15 with all performances taking place at 7:30 p.m. in the Dr. Mary T. Christian Auditorium, Templin Hall. The events are open to the public. Please direct questions to (757) 825-2779.

First is in the lineup is Native American dance troupe Red Crooked Sky. Based in Southeastern Virginia, the troupe represents an array of tribes – Cherokee, Sioux, Meherrin, Osage, Pamunkey, Seneca and Monacan, among and others.

On Friday April 16, the Latin Ballet of Virginia performs. Founded in 1997 in Richmond, Virginia, the company is under the direction of Ana Ines King a Colombia, South America native.

The final show in the series takes place Friday, April 23 featuring the Celtic band IONA. For two decades, the five-member group has lead Washington, D.C. audiences on a virtual tour of the Celtic music styles found around the world.

The Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) Art Department will showcase student talent during the semi-annual Digital Film Festival on Tuesday, April 13. Free and open to the public, the 7 p.m. event takes place in the Dr. Mary T. Christian Auditorium, Templin Hall, Hampton Campus.

The upcoming spring festival will not include judging or prizes. Instead, the students will display their work without the pressures of a contest and benefit from audience feedback. The opinions from the audience will be valuable tools for the students as they work to enhance their creativity and production skills. The department will showcase 30 to 40 pieces this year.

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Throughout March, TNCC will participate in a statewide celebration called, “Minds Wide Open: Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts” in observance of Women’s History Month. The first celebration of its kind in Virginia, “Minds Wide Open” will focus on the artistic and cultural contributions of women. Thousands of performances and displays are expected statewide during the celebration, according to the website http://vamindswideopen.org/.

At TNCC, the Cultural Affairs Committee will sponsor a series of performances and lectures scheduled as follows:

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Thomas Nelson Community College’s (TNCC) Department of Performing Arts, TNCC Players, and Iron Street Productions (ISP) will present “Little Shop of Horrors” at the Dr. Mary T. Christian Auditorium (MTCA), Templin Hall, on the Hampton campus. Performances will take place November 13-15 and November 20-22 at 8:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3:00 p.m. on Sundays.

Open to the public, the play is about a hapless florist shop assistant who discovers and raises a mysterious plant that craves fresh blood. As the story unfolds, the blood-thirsty plant named Audrey II grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore who offers the main character, Seymour, fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite. Featured songs composed by Ashman and Alan Menken in the style of early 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown, include “Skid Row (Downtown), ” “Somewhere That’s Green,” and “Suddenly, Seymour” as well as the title song. The classic musical is one of the longest running Off-Broadway plays and is based on the 1960 dark comedy film of the same title.

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